


Writing on the Wall

by MiriamMT



Series: Gallavich OneShots (no smut) [61]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Fluff, Good Boyfriend Mickey Milkovich, Gothic Literature, Ian Gallagher Loves Mickey Milkovich, Libraries, M/M, Mickey Milkovich Loves Ian Gallagher, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:28:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26500102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiriamMT/pseuds/MiriamMT
Summary: Ian and Mickey are hooking up for around three years - pretty much behaving like boyfriends, but living in denial about it. One day at work, Mickey discovers Ian's passion for books and reading and his own passion for watching him reading and making him happy. When Ian complains about the lack of gay literature at the library, Mickey takes matters into his own hands
Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Series: Gallavich OneShots (no smut) [61]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1525730
Comments: 5
Kudos: 90





	Writing on the Wall

**Author's Note:**

> Literary Works referenced here:  
> The picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar WIlde - you can listen to the audiobook on Spotify  
> Carmilla - Le Fanu - audiobook is on YouTube, but I also have a link to the PDF in case sometimes is interested in reading... it it's about lesbian vampires

Ian and Mickey were hooking up for around 3 years now. Granted this sounds like a very long time for a relationship Mickey denied completely and Ian described as 'two horny guys fucking around in secret'

In reality, and both were more or less aware of this, they were pretty much head over heels for each other. Ian had a crush on the tough Milkovich since he was 15 and Mickey was incredibly jealous when he saw Ian being on dates with other men.

When they weren't with each other Ian sometimes talked with Lip about their relationship, his brother often told him to move on from Mickey, get a real boyfriend, fuck someone new. Ian went on dates with other, way older men, not to find mentioned new boyfriend, but to make Mickey jealous, to provoke a reaction. When they weren't together Mickey thought about Ian, he thought about his face and his eyes, about his warm skin and the freckles that went over his face down to his shoulders and arms, over his whole body. He thought about how he could make Ian smile.

When they were together it was like they were a couple sometimes. Since Ian pushed all of Mickey's jealousy buttons to the topic kissing until Mickey finally kissed him on the mouth for the first time, they spent a lot of their time together with exactly this activity.

They were working together and instead of the blowjob either would occasionally receive to a time the store was empty, they were making out between potato chips and cans of chicken stock.

When they were together Mickey loved to make Ian smile and laugh and Ian loved to make Mickey flustered - which would have been defensive, aggressive even, not too long ago, was now just Mickey biting his lip and looking away, trying to hate a smile. Ian made stupid jokes, flirted with him, called him beautiful just to get that reaction from him. He tried taking away his internalized homophobia, breaking down his walls bit by bit.

Since they started kissing Ian didn't date other people, he wanted to show Mickey, he would only be with him if he would just ask him if he would show him he wanted that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ian sat behind the counter in the Kash'n'Grab store reading a book, Mickey was pacing between the aisles, talking to someone on the phone in whisper tones, walking further away from Ian during the conversation and looking around the shelves to the redhead.

Mickey ended the call and walked to the door of the store, he looked through two of the papers that blacked out the windows and checked the streets outside, then he locked the door and turned around to Ian, smiled.

"Seems like no one's coming, we got fifteen, twenty minutes maybe", Mickey said and walked over to him, "What to do with all that time?", he sighed and sat on top of the counter in front of Ian.

Ian smirked but didn't even look up, "Yeah, yeah, what to do?"

"I have an idea", Mickey smirked, he leaned towards him, pushed the book down so he could kiss Ian.

Mickey jumped down from the counter and went down on his knees in front of Ian, he smirked and looked down at Mickey but glanced back at his book and kept reading the next sentence from the corner of his eye, but it didn't go unnoticed by Mickey.

"Seriously? I'm about to blow you and you're reading?"

Ian had to chuckle at Mickey's outraged tone, "Sorry, but it's a very exciting part"

"You're more excited by a book than by me putting my mouth on your dick? That's insulting", Mickey got back up.

Ian chuckled and grabbed his wrist, "Hey don't be mad, Mick, it's not personal, come here we can make out"

"No, I wouldn't want to get between you and your book."

Ian grinned up at him, "You're so considerate."

Mickey rolled his eyes and sat back on the counter.

"What are you reading that for anyways? Don't you let your brother write your book reports? He wrote mine for all my time in high school."

"It's not for school", Ian said, "I just read it for myself."

"Why?", Mickey asked confused and eyed the rather thick book, it was old and the pages were thin and yellowish, when he leaned over the book he saw that the writing was very small and narrow, "Does it have pictures?"

Ian looked up at him, "No it doesn't have pictures Mickey, because it's not a book for pre schoolers."

"Sure, but it's so thick and the writing is so small, so either it's a really long fucking book or there are pictures. I think books should have pictures, so you can imagine the scenery better."

"Yeah sometimes that could be helpful. But this is really just a long fucking book. I just enjoy reading... you do know how to read, right?"

Mickey crossed his arms in front of his chest and kicked Ian's leg, "Of course I do, dipshit. I may be lazy, but not stupid. What is it about?"

"It's Frankenstein."

"Really?"

"Yeah I'm reading a lot of monster and gothic stuff right now."

"Huh, I thought if you can choose what you read you would choose something gay"

"I would, but I can only get books from the public library and they don't have a lot of gay literature. And essentially, Frankenstein is about a compliment father-son relationship, so I can relate to that too."

"I'm sure you can. Go ahead, keep reading, I'll open the door again."

Ian smiled at the dark-haired boy, "I'll pay you my full attention when we're actually alone again, with time and a bed.", he smirked and kept reading his book.

"Since when do you need a bed for that?", Mickey smiled and unlocked the door again, he then leaned against the magazine rack next to the door and watched Ian.

He always thought of Ian as very attractive, very hot and sexy of course, not that he ever told him. But now, when he looked at Ian leaned over the book, his big hands holding the old thing gently, his bright eyes following each word, his mind far off in a different world, he looked downright beautiful.

Mickey smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 week later

Mickey accompanied Ian to the library, he had to return his book. Mickey watched Ian wandering around between the bookshelves, looking for something new to read.

Mickey followed him through the narrow ways between the rows of old, used books.

Now Ian walked up and down the Gothic novel section 4 times, Mickey was leaning against the wooded bookshelf behind him was just wall and ugly yellow wallpaper, to both sides, narrow passages lead to more sections of literary genres Mickey could barely tell apart.

Mickey got his pocket knife out when Ian first started reading every single book title in the gothic section, looking for a special book. He secretly started carving with his knife into the old wooden shelf, while Ian grew more and more frustrated when he couldn't find his desired book by the time he reached Mickey again, having read every title 4 times.

"I can't find it. Either someone else has it or they don't have it at all."

"Which one?", Mickey asked.

"Dracula."

"Vampires, huh? I'm sure you can find some other gothic vampire book."

"Yeah, probably", Ian mumbled and sighed, "What are you doing there? Are you damaging public property again? You know I hate it when you go to prison for such stupid things"

Mickey smiled at him, took his wrist and pulled him closer to him, they were standing face to face, actually way too close for Mickey, but they were almost alone in the library, so he didn't care.

Mickey put a hand on his cheek and pushed his face to the side so Ian looked at the bookshelf.

**I + M**

Mickey had carved the initials carefully into the wood. Ian looked at it surprised, then started smiling warmly, he looked at Mickey again with that smile still on his lips. Mickey quickly checked the ways behind and before himself and then leaned up to kiss Ian briefly.

"You have no idea how much I like this side of you", Ian whispered and kissed him again. Ian wanted to say love not like and a part of Mickey wanted Ian to say love not like and another part of him knew he meant love not like.

But Ian preferred to play it safe, he wasn't even allowed to call Mickey his boyfriend, call things like this a date, call their relationship a relationship. Why would he allow himself to call his feelings love?

Mickey only stepped away from the kiss when he heard footsteps coming from behind them, "Let's go before they see the carving", Mickey whispered and they quickly left the building while giggling and trying to not gain anyone's attention.

Outside, Mickey told Ian to follow him and led him to his house. No one should be home for another couple of hours and usually, they would use this time for sex, but that was not what Mickey had in mind right now.

He pulled Ian to his room and made him sit down on the bed. Ian was confused, Mickey seemed strangely excited and nervous, it wasn't like they never had sex before after all.

"Are you okay?", Ian asked smiling when they were both sitting on the bed.

Mickey nodded, "I want to give you something."

Ian was now even more confused, Mickey leaned down and felt around under the bed until he pulled up his present for Ian.

It was a book. Ian wasn't sure what he was more surprised of Mickey making him a present or the present being a book.

"I got this for you. I googled gay gothic literature and I thought you might like this.", he said nervously, impatiently waiting for a reaction.

Ian slowly took the book and read the title "The picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde. He smiled from ear to ear and looked up at Mickey again.

"Thank you so much, Mickey, this is unbelievable. You are really the best... you stole this though didn't you?"

"No, I didn't. I bought it from the money I earn at the store."

Ian's grin seemed to get even shinier, his eyes brighter he hugged the book close to his chest for a moment before he leaned to him to kiss him.

Ian never was as in love with the boy as he was right now. Mickey saw he had a passion for something, heard he was missing some things in those stories and tried to give him something he paid for with his own money that would make him happy.

Ian ended the kiss but stayed as close as before, his face just an inch away from Mickey so he could look into his perfectly blue eyes.

He wondered if this would be a good moment to tell Mickey about his actual feeling or tell him what he wanted from their relationship. But he also just wanted to enjoy this moment they had created right now. Ian carefully put the book into his bag which leaned against the bed on the floor and then kissed Mickey again, Mickey wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer.

Mickey pulled Ian's jacket off him, Ian quickly pulled away from the kiss for just a moment, "My phone's in the jacket, I know you love to throw my clothes around the room, but let me get it out of there first", he chuckled.

Ian took his phone out of his jacket and gave the jacket to Mickey so he could toss it into some random corner of the room, Ian grinned at him and held the phone out to him too, "Could you out that on the shelf behind you?"

Mickey nodded and took Ian's phone, he turned half around to put it on the shelf Mickey used as a headboard for his bed, when he noticed Ian's newest WhatsApp message. It was from Ned.

Mickey turned around to Ian again, pressing his lips together.

"What?", Ian asked confused about the sudden mood change.

"Ned asked you on a date today at 7. I didn't know you and him were still a thing."

Ian sighed, "Ned and I were never 'a thing', Mickey. He's asking that every once in a while, it doesn't mean I agree to meet him every time."

"But you do still meet him? Sometimes? Fuck him too?"

Ian shrugged, "Not since we kissed for the first time, no."

Mickey nodded, he suddenly seemed insecure and almost ashamed... he put the phone away and then turned to Ian again to resume their make-out session.

"Hey, whoa", Ian stopped him, "Mickey... come on now, you are the only person I actually want to date."

Mickey looked up at him.

"Really?", he asked.

"Yes, fucking hell, you would just have to say it and I only fuck you and date you, no more other men, not even for a little flirt, I'd be your boyfriend."

Mickey looked him dead in the eye, "It", he stated clearly.

Ian frowned at him, "huh?"

"You said I would just have to say it. It.", Mickey said dead serious but then his lips slowly split into a smile.

"You have no idea how much I hate you right now", he mumbled.

Mickey chuckled at the redhead.

"You're unbelievable, we could have had a nice moment here."

"I carved our initials into public property and bought you a book, how many moments does your gay ass need?"

"As many as possible", Ian smiled and kissed him again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2 months later

It was Ian's 18th birthday today. Mickey walked around the Gallagher house to the back door and knocked. Fiona opened and looked down at him with raised eyebrows. The Gallagher family still didn't know about Ian and Mickey's relationship - no one did.

"Is Ian there?"

"What do you want from him?", Fiona crossed her arms in front of her chest, "Leave him alone, it's his birthday."

"I'll talk to him when I feel like talking to him, how about that? Is he still upstairs?"

"He's still sleeping, when you go up, tell him to finally get down here, I'm hungry", Lip said, sometimes Mickey wondered if Ian told him about their whole thing, he wouldn't be surprised the Gallagher brothers stood each other pretty much everything.

Mickey pushed past Fiona and went upstairs. He entered Ian's room quietly, the Gallagher still lay in his bed.

Mickey smiled and walked over to him.

"Hey, freckles, wake up", Mickey mumbled and sat down on the edge of the mattress.

Ian stirred but didn't open his eyes, Mickey sighed.

"Ian, I know you're awake you sent me a text to come over 10 minutes ago."

Ian lay still on his back, eyes closed, then he pushed his thin lips up as if he was kissing the air.

"You aren't serious.", Mickey said and crossed his arms.

Ian kissed the air twice, making loud kissing notices.

"Ian, no. Out of the question. I will absolutely not do that."

Ian was very stubborn and Mickey knew he couldn't win this. Ian knew Mickey wouldn't leave, there was however a fair chance the two of them would stay just like this the whole day without either of them giving in.

Mickey had stuff to do, gifts to gift, words to say. He sighed dramatically.

"Okay, but only because it is your birthday. Next year I'm gonna eat a ton of garlic."

Mickey leaned down and kissed Ian softly. He leaned back up again and Ian, like the dramatic bitch he was, slowly opened his eyes in wonder and gazed up at Mickey lovingly.

"Okay, Snow White, now get up or I'm gonna choke you with apples."

Ian rolled his eyes and looked up, "it's my birthday, we've been over this: I get two things: A morning kiss and I get to address you with any pet name I desire and you can't do anything about it, expect rolling your eyes."

"A morning kiss isnt the same as this fairy tale thing."

Ian shrugged, "My birthday, my rules. Besides I would also kiss you if you ate a ton of garlic", he smiled and kissed him again.

Mickey smiled and ran his hand through Ian's red hair, "Well, happy birthday. Welcome to being legal, if you fuck old sleezebacks now, we can't put them into jail anymore, so now I HAVE to beat them up", he smirked.

"Of course, Babes"

Mickey blinked and scrunched up his nose, but didn't say anything, Ian chuckled.

"Scoot over."

Ian made space for Mickey on the bed, Mickey took his backpack and pulled Ian's gift out.

"What's that?"

"Your birthday gift, dummie, but if I would have known about your little snow white thing here, I would have just brought you an apple pie."

"I was sleeping beauty, not snow white, so you should have brought me a rose."

"Next year, be Belle", Mickey smirked and handed the gift over to him.

"Belle?", he said and looked at the rectangular present, which was wrapped in an old newspaper, "It's a book then?"

Mickey smiled and shrugged. Ian opened the present, it was indeed a book, but it looked like it was handmade. Thick cardboard made the book cover, it was painted in black, a rose and the title of the book was written in white on the cover, it was clearly Mickey's handwriting though he tried to write clean.

"I know it looks kinda arts-and-crafty, but I couldn't find the book in any book store, but on the internet, I broke into Sheilas house and used her printer, but I didn't want to give you just some loose papers."

Ian smiled and leaned to kiss Mickey when he finished his mumbling.

"That's so fucking sweet.", he whispered.

"Yeah, don't tell anyone, or I'm gonna lose my reputation."

"Oh no, how awful. Imagine anyone finding out my boyfriend is such a sweet baby?"

"Be glad I promised to let it slide today, if you repeat this shit tomorrow, I'll cut your tongue out."

Ian smiled and pecked his lips, "You're so adorable when you threaten me."

"I know you think that", he grinned, "That's why I do it. Now open the book. I think you'll like it, it's about gay vampires, well lesbian, but whatever."

Ian smiled and opened the book, on the first page he saw a little note Mickey had written in black ink. Mickey leaned his forehead against Ian's shoulder.

 _Happy birthday_  
I love you  
-M 

Ian stared at it with a slightly open mouth, he turned his head back to Mickey and kissed the top of his head, "I love you too"

Mickey smiled and looked up at him to kiss his lips, "I know", he whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 year later

Mickey was living in the Gallagher house, he and Ian had Frank's old bedroom, who was finally kicked out of the house for good, Lip was currently at College, so he didn't need the bedroom.

Mickey had worked on Ian's birthday present for months and was excited but also extremely nervous to give it to him.

Mickey made sure Ian had a rose and apple pie for his birthday this year and didn't protest as much when he had to act like kissing him awake again.

After the birthday breakfast, the family congratulated Ian and gave him his presents. At some point, they all looked at Mickey, since he was the only one who didn't give Ian a present yet.

"So, you forgot, huh?", Lip said at some point, "Not surprised"

Mickey looked up at him from his seat at the kitchen table, "I didn't, idiot.", he looked at Ian, "I'll give it to you upstairs."

"Ugh, but be quiet when you give it to him", Fiona exclaimed, "I have to go to work anyways, good bye sweetie", she kissed Ian's forehead and left the kitchen.

Slowly the room cleared and Ian and Mickey went upstairs to their bedroom.

"You know I don't _need_ a present from you. I already got a rose and I get to call you babe, I'm happy."

"We both know you would be disappointed if you didn't get a present, also your brother wouldn't let me hear the end of it."

Mickey made Ian sit down on their bed and then got the present from under the bed. It looked a bit like the crafted book he gave him last year. Mickey always gifted him books and short stories he thought might interest him, he loved to watch Ian reading and he loved listening to him reading out loud.

"Thanks, baby", Ian smiled at him, "I never heard of this story, who wrote it?"

Mickey bit his bottom lip, "Well... I... I wrote it."

Ian looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"You wrote a book?"

"Not a very long one, it's probably not very good either. But I ran out of gay gothic novels to buy."

"So you wrote one?"

"I listened to you reading them all the time, I thought I could at least try writing something that sounded like it. But it's a bit more obvious about the gay thing."

Ian grinned at him, "What is it about?"

"It's about a vampire who spent his whole life being evil and stuff until he fell in love with a human. And he tried very hard to be better for him. But in his evil days he made himself an enemy - a dark wizard who curses the lover to sometimes be really depressed and sometimes be really wild and..."

"Manic?", Ian asked.

Mickey shrugged, "You will have to read it to find out the rest I guess"

Ian smiled at him and kissed him, "I love you so much, thank you"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

9 years later

Mickey let his fingertips wander over the backs of the books in the gothic novel section of the public library, at the end of the shelf he smiled when he could still clearly see the carved initials I + M.

He heard small feet running through the library, "Pops!"

"Shht", Mickey made when he saw that the child running belonged to him.

Ian and Mickey adopted two children by now: Carmilla, 7, and Dorian, 4. They often took them to the library, like today, and yet they sometimes forgot to be quiet in here.

"You know you have to be quiet here, Carmi", Mickey whispered, "What's up?"

"I found my book, they have my book here! With Bat and Batz adopting the baby bat."

Mickey smiled, he wrote each of his children a storybook. Carmilla's was about two gay bats adopting a baby bat, while only straight bat families lived in their cave. Dorian's book had a similar plot, but the emphasis was more on adopting and belong to a new family that may be a bit different and strange, but still loved him - the Gallaghers were represented through cups while Dorian was a spoon.

Thanks to Ian all of Mickeys books were published and Mickey actually earned some money with his writing. Apparently, gay people enjoyed reading about gay monsters.

"Okay, little bat, let's find your daddy and then you can show me where you found your book"

Carmilla nodded and then looked at the shelf and saw the carving, "What is that?"

"That? That is how I got daddy to be my boyfriend. And here is exactly where I asked daddy to be my husband."

Carmilla smiled and touched the carving.

"Okay, let's go find daddy and your brother."

Carmilla took Mickey's hand and pulled him over to the children's books to Ian and Dorian.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Author's Note:**

> I passed all of my exams and finished writing my term paper and handed it in on Monday- 11 days before deadline 🤔  
> I honestly love uni so much I want to start the next semester now already 😅
> 
> Also my best friend and I love Halloween, it's our favourite holiday 🖤 and we will have a small halloween party in my apartment bc halloween is finally a Saturday this year 🎃 and I will FINALLY be able to wear a refined version of my CARRIE costume from 4 years ago (my friends costume is gonna be the Black Dahlia)


End file.
